At the heart of an athlete is the desire to be first. The desire to be the best at their position. The desire
for their team to succeed. The desire to win. An opportunity to set the standard, to make history or
to become the first to be first brings a whole new level of excitement and desire.
“Anything is possible. It’s crazy,” said Anna Kate O’Bryant.

Since the age of five, O’Bryant has been a part of a family, a group of similar-aged girls who gather on a field to
play a sport. She described the chance to join The W’s family as an opportunity that “just clicked.”
O’Bryant was one the first student-athletes to commit to playing for the Owls. At New Hope High School, she
has held the position of second baseman for both the slow-pitch and fast pitch teams since her sophomore year
while also being a member of the Trojan’s soccer team.

“I met with Coach (Tatjana) Matthews and
Athletic Director Jason Trufant and it all fell into
place,” described O’Bryant. “We talked about the
direction of the program, practice and Coach
Matthews talked about how she wanted to get the
family involved. It all made sense,” O’Bryant said.

A new team, a new coach and new drills excite
O’Bryant about coming to The W.

“To come and be part of the first team, to be the
standard, is an honor,” she said.

At an early age, Brandon Jones realized his dream
was to play baseball at a collegiate level. He developed
a love for the game from the countless innings in his
backyard with his older brother and cousins. When
the opportunity arose to continue to play in his
“backyard,” it was an opportunity that he could not
pass up.

“When I first heard the announcement, I was
interested. It’s here. It’s home,” said Jones. “I texted
Coach Matt Wolfenbarger and told him I wanted to
play.”

A graduate of Heritage Academy, Jones has fielded
the position of second basemen for the Patriots since
he was a freshman.

Jones has been playing basketball in the Pohl gym
with friends since he was in the sixth grade. In his
words, “I live five minutes down the road.” But, when
he came for his campus tour, met with faculty and
talked more with Coach Wolfenbarger, he knew The
W was his future home.

“Being the first team to win something here excites
me. That would be great,” said Jones. “I want to do
something for the university. I want to do the best I
can. I want to build a championship program here.”

Both O’Bryant and Jones came to campus looking
for an opportunity. They found a family, a team and a
home. They discovered a place they could trust with
both their academic future and their future between
the white lines and foul poles.